- The next-generation Nissan Frontier will add a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the lineup, according to a report from MotorTrend.
- The new-generation pickup is planned to arrive sometime around 2028, says Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan’s chief planning officer for North America.
- Merging with the Nissan Navara, the brand’s other mid-size pickup, could also be in the Frontier’s future, according to Pandikuthira.
The 2025 Nissan Frontier was given a modest but impactful facelift that included revised looks, improved towing capacity, updated smartphone compatibility, and a steering wheel, among other improvements. Despite those updates, the Frontier continues to lag behind in an incredibly competitive segment. That could change with the introduction of the next-generation Frontier, which, according to a new report from MotorTrend, will include a plug-in hybrid powertrain.Marc Urbano|Car and Driver”For its life cycle to make sense and be compliant, it will have to be electrified,” Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan’s chief planning for North America, told the outlet. According to the Nissan executive, a plug-in setup is the best solution for maintaining the ruggedness of a body-on-frame truck while still maintaining towing capacity, hitting emissions requirements, and offering a product that people want to spend time in every day. “To keep that full spectrum of use, I think a plug-in hybrid would be the ultimate solution,” Pandikuthira said. “We’re still working on it.”According to the executive, the next-generation pickup should arrive around 2028. “We need to have a solution by then. Three years from now,” he said. The time frame makes sense, given that the facelifted Frontier traces its current generation back to 2022. Marc Urbano|Car and DriverPandikuthira says that in an ideal world, Nissan would also eventually merge the Frontier with the mid-size Navara pickup truck. “Ideally, we’d like to have a global convergence solution,” Pandikuthira told the outlet. His solution would be a totally new platform that could serve Nissan’s needs on a global scale. That means being able to accommodate multiple powertrain choices, including internal-combustion and plug-in hybrid options. More on the Nissan FrontierJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
